This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

As an organization that has cared deeply about the well-being of Utah women since opening our doors in 1906, YWCA Utah appreciates the attention Sens. Margaret Dayton and Stuart Reid recently brought to issues concerning women's educational attainment, women's political participation and the gender wage gap.

We agree that women are empowered with gifts and talents to compete on any level in any venue, although we disagree whether they always have the opportunities to do so.

We also agree that women's commitments to family and home are vitally important, and we honor these choices as well as other choices women make about education, careers and leadership.

While national data do not always reflect state-level experience, they do encourage us to look more closely at Utah women's lives in all their complexity and to support efforts to develop community-level data about women in every corner of our state.

Our vision is that all Utah women are thriving and leading the lives they choose, with their strength benefiting their families and communities. We welcome conversation that values women and girls and encourages them to flourish in all dimensions of their lives.

Additional information about Utah women may be found at http://www.ywcautah.org.

Anne Burkholder

CEO, YWCA Utah